Eutelsat uses SpaceX rocket to launch first satellites after merger

Eutelsat, the world's third-biggest outer relation by revenue, launched 20 satellites for its communications web connected Sunday, utilizing Elon Musk's SpaceX successful its archetypal determination since the merger of 2 European companies past year.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off, with Eutelsat satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base astatine 0513 GMT.

"This is the archetypal OneWeb motorboat of the satellites since the merger," CEO Eva Berneke told Reuters successful an interview. "We volition beryllium launching much satellites implicit the coming years."

The Paris-based radical formed by the merger successful September past twelvemonth of France's Eutelsat and Britain's OneWeb has a constellation of implicit 600 debased world orbit satellites that cater to broadcasters, telecom companies and vigor stations.

"We truly privation to integrate into the telco ecosystem," Berneke said. "Satellites are an absorbing niche successful the wide connectivity ecosystems wherever telcos are the large boys successful the people and outer volition ever beryllium a smaller part."

Eutelsat counts telecom operators specified arsenic France's Orange and Australia's Telstra arsenic clients and is successful talks with others specified arsenic AT&T in the U.S.

The company, which has a backlog of orders of $4 billion, is waiting for countries specified arsenic India and Saudi Arabia to unfastened up.

India - a marketplace acceptable to turn 36% a twelvemonth to $1.9 cardinal by 2030 - is successful the process of allowing outer services. It has experienced friction between home players and companies specified arsenic Starlink.

Two Asian chipmaking giants had a Friday to remember, but for antithetic reasons.00:0201:26

"We person immoderate of our backlog sitting successful the Indian market... It sits determination until India gets open, the time it gets open, we'll commencement building," Berneke said.

The institution is besides successful talks with aviation companies to connection in-flight connectivity, including net browsing, and expects gross to commencement expanding from adjacent year, she said.